Large swathes of Pakistan remain underwater as floods continue to devastate the country. As of August 25, the country has received 375.4 mm of rainfall—which is 2.87 times its 30-year-average of 130.8 mm.
The agriculture sector has been particularly impacted by this tragedy where 2 million acres of crops and orchards have been destroyed and 793,900 livestock are dead.
Agriculture is the lifeblood of the country’s economy, and the livestock left alive after the floods continue to remain in danger as the wet and humid conditions leave them prone to fatal diseases.
Climate change has a very big part to play in this disaster where according to WMO experts, flooding is “the footprint of climate change where it is becoming more extreme.”
Concave Agri, utilizing the extensive network of farmers and agriculture experts that it is engaged with, has stepped up its flood relief efforts by doubling down its advisory and support services.
Concave Agri, a Lakson Group Company, is on its way to becoming one of the largest one-stop channels for providing data-driven end-to-end solutions to farmers all over the country.
As a part of its relief efforts, Concave Agri is focusing on a survey of the damage done, free of cost livestock management advisory and creating accessibility of livestock experts given the high-risk situation, enabling access to requisite veterinary medicine, providing forecasts to farmers in danger, extending advisory services free of cost on farm rehabilitation strategies to affected farmers—especially female farmers, and bridging supply shortages all over the country.
Concave Agri’s livestock and crop management experts are creating data-driven solutions and strategies. These are then being rolled out through their free helpline ‘Kissan Madadgar’ vertical (Helpline: 051 111 547726 or 051 111 KISSAN) in the form of timely forecasts and viable rehabilitation solutions including soil treatments, crop management, and land preparation—especially taking into account the soil run-off damage.
This vertical is also working tirelessly to disseminate relevant management techniques to livestock farmers and is further connecting them to local livestock experts that the company has mobilized in these areas.
Concave Agri has increased the number of its open advisory lines and has particularly onboarded female staff to service affected female farmers.
Their ‘Kissan Dukan’ farm input marketplace is further working to create the availability of required veterinary medicine to where it is needed. Finally, through their ‘Kissan Karobar’ farm produce marketplace, they are creating supply where shortages have occurred.
These floods have already uprooted hundreds of communities in their wake and will continue to do so as its effects and aftereffects roll out. The damage will particularly affect small farmers who make up a large portion of the country’s population and remain one of its most vulnerable groups.
While fund collection and distribution campaigns are extremely commendable, appropriate focus also needs to be given to rehabilitation strategies and ensuring that these communities get back on their feet.
Particularly, rehabilitation strategies need to take into account the effects of climate change and work on appropriate mitigation and adaptation planning.